An Eastern Bridge in the National Capital Region

The Eastern Bridge is a Government of Canada project to establish an additional interprovincial crossing in the National Capital Region.

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) is now responsible for leading the Eastern Bridge project, including handling future public engagement and project updates. This change is part of the Government of Canada’s broader approach to bringing responsibility for federally owned bridges and crossings under a single portfolio, reducing duplication and supporting more coordinated management of these important transportation links.

Since 2021, the NCC has supported the planning for the Eastern Bridge through its work on transportation planning, impact assessment, federal approvals and public engagement.

In October 2026, the Government of Canada transferred responsibility for the Eastern Bridge project from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to HICC. The project continues to advance under HICC’s leadership.

In June 2026, the NCC Board of Directors granted Federal Land Use and Design Approval to PSPC for the planning and design principles of the bridge in the eastern part of the National Capital Region. These principles will provide guidelines to help the project team develop concepts for a future bridge.

The full planning and design principles document is available here.

Many technical studies were commissioned in recent years that will help the planning and decision-making for the Eastern Bridge project.

• Executive summary of transport context
• Executive summary of technical studies
• Summary of other reports

The NCC Board of Directors approved the updated Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan (LTIICP) in November 2025. The LTIICP is a roadmap that outlines the vision and strategies related to the interprovincial transport of people and goods in the National Capital Region by 2050.

The LTIICP has been updated with the latest, post-pandemic data on travel patterns. This technical update uses results from:

• the Origin-Destination Survey, led by the multi-agency TRANS Committee, of which the NCC is a member;
• the Interprovincial Truck Mobility Data Collection, initiated by the NCC; and  
• a summary document on regional needs.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada manages the collection of information needed to understand potential impacts of proposed projects such as interprovincial bridges. An impact assessment identifies the best ways to avoid or reduce a project’s negative impacts to the environment, people, communities or economies and to find ways to enhance the positive aspects.

In August 2026, as part of the impact assessment, the Initial Project Description was submitted to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. A public comment period was held from September 1 to October 9, 2026. Details can be found on the IAAC project webpage.

The NCC’s federal land use, design and transaction approval (FLUDTA) review process protects the character and national significance of the Capital and strives to improve the quality of the Capital experience for residents and visitors.

Given the significance and complexity of constructing the Eastern Bridge, the FLUDTA process involves a series of sequential approvals to be considered by the NCC Board of Directors at key milestones of project development.

The NCC led the first phase of public engagement on the Eastern Bridge in summer 2025. Members of the public provided input on the project’s early planning and design principles through an online survey, meetings with public advisory groups and stakeholder discussions.

Feedback received during this phase was summarized in the Round 1 public participation report, published in December 2025.

Information on future engagement opportunities and project updates will be provided by HICC.